MIT's cheetah robot is a marvel of engineering.

is also battery powered. It currently gets about 15 minutes’ run time out of one charge. Similar four-legged machines run on gas to get enough power, and as Kim says, “As a result, they’re way louder. Our robot can be silent and as efficient as animals. The only things you hear are the feet hitting the ground. This is kind of a new paradigm where we’re controlling force in a highly dynamic situation. Any legged robot should be able to do this in the future.” The team anticipate real-world applications for similar quadruped robots to include prosthetics and wearable technology, all-terrain wheelchairs and vehicles that can travel efficiently over rough ground or in dangerous areas, such as for search and rescue missions.